Office of Governor Robert Bentley/Jamie MartinGov. Robert Bentley signs the Immigration Bill into law, Thursday, June 09, 2011, in the Old House Chamber at the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery. Looking on, left to right, are: State Senator Scott Beason, Representative Kerry Rich and Representative Micky Hammon.

House Majority Leader Micky Hammon, R-Decatur, this afternoon released a statement that welcomed the ruling of U.S. District Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn, who declined to block most sections of the state's 72-page immigration law.

"Today's ruling is nothing short of a great victory for the State of Alabama and for those who support the rule of law," said Hammon, co-author of the bill. "Many of the law's most vocal critics, including the Obama Justice Department, the ACLU and other liberal extremists, were simply proven wrong today.

"We are quickly learning that once you cut through the rhetoric of those who seek to protect illegal immigrants, there are no facts to support their outlandish claims against this statute."

Hammon said the ruling today shows that the "nation's strongest statute on the books" was well crafted to survive constitutional challenges.

That law had been challenged by the U.S. Department of Justice, religious leaders and a group of civil rights organizations and advocates. Blackburn today declined to block most sections of the law, allowing portions regarding the determination of citzenship status of school children and the authorization of local police to determine the citizenship status upon "reasonable suspicion" that an individual is in the United States unlawfully.

Blackburn, however, did block several subsections of the state act, including the portions that would criminalize renting to, harboring or tranporting an illegal immigrant. She also blocked portions that would stop illegal immigrants from enrolling in state universities.

"We're very pleased to see that 85 percent of our law will go into effect and we can finally begin dealing with the problem of illegal immigration in Alabama," said House Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn.

"Our goal has always been to make sure Alabama jobs and taxpayer-funded resources are going to legal Alabama residents and Judge Blackburn's ruling is a significant win for this cause," said Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston.

Alabama Democrats were not as celebratory.

"Though we appreciate the serious and thoughtful deliberation with which Judge Blackburn made her decision today, we are disappointed that the Alabama legislature would see fit to pass a bill that could lead to racial profiling and injustice," said former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Mark Kennedy, now chair of the Alabama Democratic Party. "The legal battle has just begun and we are hopeful that if the ruling is appealed, the appellate courts will take a different path."

Federal judges have blocked similar measures in other states, including Arizona and Georgia. But Hammon said he was confident the law would survive an appeal.

"It is my hope that this ruling, and others like it, will spur Congress to do what we have simply asked all along - fix the problem once and for all at the federal level," said Hammon, "so we are not forced to take action on the state level."